New Plants For The New Garden (From Seed)

When you get a new garden you want to introduce plants that will make it your own. When you take one over that is full of invasive plants (Japanese Anenome, Crocosmia, Hemorcallis etc.), what I regard as weeds (Forget me Nots, Perriwinkle and Teasel) and plants that you just plain dislike (Japanese Anenome again, Primula and Muscari) it means that you will be busy (see this post)!

But it can cost you a fortune! But there are many ways to go  ways to go about it.......................

From seed;

I love growing from seed! It will take longer (but not that much longer in some cases) and self collected seed may not always come true, but it is the most rewarding way for me to stock my garden.

Lobelia tupa is a beauty! These grew up to a height of 1.5 metres this year.....................

L.tupa is borderline hardy here.

Lobelia Queen Victoria is hardy, although short lived. Allow three seasons (four at most) for this plant. Produces seed readily though.

Nicotiana are very easy from seed. I added two this year. Nicotiana langsdorfii is an early bloomer that grows up to about one metre tall...............

Best of all, the green blooms fit in with just about any other colour.

N.sylvestris on the other hand blooms late in the season.

Very fragrant, and the huge leaves give it a rather exotic look........................

I frequent a few gardening forums and the next few have all been grown from seed sent by fellow forumers.

Bearing in mind my dislike of invasive plants Impatiens balfourii may seem like a strange plant to introduce. But the forumer who sent me them assures me that they are easy to keep in check. It has been an invaluable plant this year and grows anywhere! Next year I'll be growing it in the shady area where it did very well this summer.

A kind gentleman in New Zealand collected seed from his Fuchsia procumbens and sent them to me............

It can be used as ground cover or as a trailing plant in baskets or pots placed up high.

Commelina tuberosa is a lovely little plant. Each flower only lasts a few hours but are produced in great numbers.

Leonotis nepetifolia came to me from someone who grows it well in the north of England, so it should have been a winner here in the warmer south! I had reckoned without the lousy summer that we had to endure. It finally bloomed in September at a height of 1.5 metres - in a good summer it should reach two or even three metres. The wait was worth it though.................

Sutherlandia frutescens did well initially, but then struggled as the temperatures cooled down.

Cerinthe palestina is about as hassle free as growing from seed gets - just chuck the seeds down where you want them and let nature do the rest!

Abutilon x hybridum is a good example of seed not coming true. The seeds were collected from the same plant yet there are two different colours. The first plant is in the ground (I don't fancy its chances this winter if I'm honest) and the second is being pot grown.

The final plant from forum seed is Salvia glutinosa. Even as a young seedling this proved to be fully hardy. Like most Salvia it is very floriforous....................

Climbing plants are an essential part of my garden, and none is easier than Eccromocarpus scaber................

It's a rapid grower that is far hardier than it is given credit for.

Rhodochiton is easy from self collected seed, but less so from purchased seed as it has to be fresh.

Finally, not only my favourite climber, but my favourite plant of the year - Bomarea hirtella!

Slow to germinate, but blooms in less than a year.